"That Would Be Something" is a song written by

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

which was first released on his '' McCartney'' album on 17 April 1970.

Recording

McCartney sings and plays acoustic guitar, bass, electric guitar, tom tom and a cymbal. This song and "Valentine Day" were mixed at

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, London, Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of ...

on 22 February 1970. McCartney would also record " Every Night" and " Maybe I'm Amazed" the same day. In the song McCartney also performs

vocal percussion Vocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with one's mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo. In Western music Recent ...

to simulate a drum kit.

Release and reception

Shortly after the ''McCartney'' album's release,

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

described this song and " Maybe I'm Amazed" as "great".

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

said the song was "light folk-pop". In a review for the ''McCartney'' album, Langdon Winner of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' described "That Would Be Something", along with " The Lovely Linda", as having "virtually no verbal or melodic content whatsoever." "That Would Be Something" was also released on the 1991 album ''

Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) ''Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)'' is a live album of Acoustic music, unplugged performance by Paul McCartney, recorded and released in 1991. Overview Following the vastness of the Paul McCartney World Tour (1989–1990), captured on ''Tripp ...

''. The song was first performed live by McCartney, in Barcelona, on 8 May 1991.

Personnel

– vocals, guitar, bass guitar, tom tom,

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sou ...

Cover versions

The

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...

played this song in concert 16 times between 1991 and 1995. The first time they played the song live is available on '' Dick's Picks Volume 17''. In 2010,

Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975) is an American musician who achieved international fame as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo the White Stripes. As the White Stripes disbanded, he sought success with his solo career, subse ...

interpolated a bridge of "That Would Be Something" into his performance of "

Mother Nature's Son "Mother Nature's Son" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album ''The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album"). The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was ins ...

", another one of McCartney's compositions, during a concert held at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

during which McCartney was awarded the

Gershwin Prize The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is an award given to a composer or performer for their lifetime contributions to popular music. Created in 2007 by the United States Library of Congress, the prize is named after brothers ...

References

1970 songs Paul McCartney songs Songs written by Paul McCartney Song recordings produced by Paul McCartney Music published by MPL Music Publishing {{beatles-song-stub